ISLAMABAD: Clearing the air after months of confusion and speculation, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Mon­day finally designated Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and parliamentary opposition leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz to hold talks with the military establishment.

Their names were confirmed by PTI founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan while speaking to media persons inside Adiala Jail following the hearing of a £190m corruption case.

When asked if the PTI is still holding talks with the establishment, Mr Khan said: “I have authorised Ali Amin, Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz for these dialogues.”

He made it clear that no one, except these three leaders, has been authorised to hold talks with the establishment.

Referring to the court order restraining him from speaking against institutions, Mr Khan insisted he never disrespected any state entity and that the directive is against his fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

He regretted that a petition against violation of human rig­hts pending before the Supreme Court was not being heard. Mr Khan expressed the hope that uncertainty about the nomination of chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would end on Tuesday (today).

He said initially PTI leader Sher Afzal Khan Marwat was nominated for the post; however, he wanted more consultations on this matter. According to him, the jail authorities gave him only half an hour for consultation, which is not a reasonable time for such a serious deliberation.

The former PM endorsed the KP chief minister’s statement threatening to storm Islamabad over unfulfilled commitments made by the federal government, saying the Centre is not giving the due share to the provincial government.

Earlier, talking to journalists outside Adiala Jail, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had denied any backchannel dialogues with the establishment. “We are not holding dialogue with anyone,” he said, adding that the PTI did not nominate any leader for holding talks with the establishment; however, Imran Khan might make an announcement in this regard.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said he was unaware of any talks or an “imminent deal” between the PTI and the military establishment.

When asked about the issue by reporters during an appearance in Islamabad on Monday, he said he had no such information.

He also did not give a clear answer when asked if the names of some PTI leaders had been struck off the ECL, saying names were removed from the ECL through a standard procedure.

Court proceedings

Accountability Court judge Nasir Javed Rana recorded statements of four witnesses in the £190m corruption reference, the defence counsel cross-examined one witness.

The court has so far recorded the testimonies of 25 witnesses, out of them 16 have been cross-examined.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court adjourned the hearing of bail petitions filed by Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the £190m corruption case because of the absence of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) special prosecutor.

An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri resumed the hearing on the bail petitions. The counsel of Imran Khan told the court that he travelled all the way from Lahore to attend the hearing.

Justice Farooq said he was also not feeling well, but came for the hearing of this particular case. He warned the prosecution that no further adjournment would be made and the court would decide the bail petition on merits.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024